Shock-absorbing device

ABSTRACT

A shock-absorbing device for positioning an article within a container including a suction device for gripping the article, a bumper device and means to mount the suction and bumper devices on a wall of the container. The suction and bumper devices cooperate to both cushion the article and define the extent of movement thereof relative to the container wall.

United States Patent Ross [4 1 Jan. 18,1972

[54] SHOCK-ABSORBING DEVICE [72] Inventor: Donald R. Ross, 126 California Ave.,

Freeport, Long Island, NY. 11520 [22] 1 Filed: Dec. 8, 1969 211 App]. No.: 882,894

[52] US. Cl. ..206/46 FR, 267/141 [51] Int. Cl. ..B6Sd 25/12, 865d 81/02, 865d 85/30 [58] Field ofSearch ..267/140,141;217/52,53,54; 206/46; 229/14 C; 248/78, 358, 346.1, 350, 360,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Nakken et al ..2l7/54 UX Stiller ..248/362 Ludwikowski ..267/140 Primary Examiner-Raphael N. Schwartz Attorney-Bean and Bean [57] ABSTRACT A shock-absorbing device for positioning an article within a container including a suction device for gripping the article, a bumper device and means to mount the suction and bumper devices on a wall of the container. The suction and bumper devices cooperate to both cushion the article and define the extent of movement thereof relative to the container wall.

9 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEU Jun 8 m2 I N VEN'I OR. DONALD R. ROSS @WQM.

A T'TOPNEYS' SHOCK-ABSORBING DEVICE SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention generally relates to arrangements for use in cushioning and/or positioning an, article to be transported within a container. More particularly, the invention relates to a shock absorber device adapted to limit movement of an article in directions both toward and away from a given container wall.

The preferred form of the present invention includes a resiliently deformable suction cup, a resiliently deformable bumper and an arrangement for mounting the suction cup and bumper relative to a container wall. The. suction cup, when placed in gripping engagement with an article to be positioned, limits movement thereof away from the container wall while permitting movement of the article towards the wall into engagement with the bumper. The suction cup and bumper thereby cooperate to both cushion the article and limit the degree of movement thereof in directions toward and away from the container wall.

Further, in accordance with the preferred form of the present invention, the mounting arrangement is adapted to adjustably vary relative positioning of the suction cup relative to the bumper in order to control the degree of movement of the article. Also, the mounting arrangement is adapted to adjustably and simultaneously vary the positioning of the suction cup and bumper relative to the containerwall for the purpose of accommodating various size articles within a given con-- tainer.

DRAWINGS The nature and mode of operation of the present invention will be more fully described in the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container partially broken away to illustrate shock-absorbing devices of the present in vention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the shock absorber of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken through a container wall mounted shock absorber showing the manner in which the suction cup is deformed during movement of the supported article.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Now referring particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, it will be understood that the shock-absorbing device according to the present invention, which is generally designated as l, is adapted to be mounted on a wall 2 of a container 3 for the purpose of positionally supporting an article 4 within the container. While FIG. 1 illustrates a particularly desirable arrangement for supporting a regularly shaped, broad-surfaced article, wherein devices I are arranged on each of the container walls, it will be understood that even one of devices 1 has utility in supporting article 4, as for instance where it is to be mounted on the bottom wall of a container.

Device 1 is best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 as including a suction device in the form of a resiliently deformable suction cup 6, a bumper device in the form of a resiliently deformable cylinder and a mounting device including a tubular member 12, which is externally threaded to receive clamping nuts 14a, 14b.

In the arrangement shown, suction cup 6 is formed with a bottom wall 16 which is apertured at 18 to snugly engage about an end of tubular member 12. Bumper cylinder 10 may be friction fit or adhesively bonded within tubular member 12, such that the bumper projects outwardly through an inwardly extending end of the tubular member and axially inwardly of suction cup 6. In the case of a conventional wooden or cardboard container, tubular member 12 may be clampingly secured within an aperture 20 provided in container wall 2 by threading nuts 14a, 14b into clamping engagement with the relatively inner and outer surfaces of the wall, respectively.

By reference to FIG. 3, it will be understood that by threadably adjusting clamping nuts 14a, 14b, tubular member 12 may be adjusted so as to selectively vary the positioning of suction cup 6 and bumper cylinder l0 relative to the inner surface of wall 2 in order to accommodate articles of varying sizes. Alternatively, adjustment of tubular member 12 for this purpose may be accomplished outwardly of the container by bonding clamping nut 14a to wall 2 or by dispensing with both of nuts 14a, 14b and providing aperture 20 with screw threads engageable with those of the tubular member.

Again referring to FIG. 3, it will be apparent that the suction cup 6 may be adjustably positioned relative to bumper cylinder 10 by threadably adjusting the suction cup on tubular member 12. Alternatively, where it is desired to permit all adjustments to be made outwardly of the container, the suction cup may be suitably bonded to the tubular member, and the latter internally threaded to permit individual adjustment of bumper cylinder 10 by a screwdriver or the like inserted into the open outer end of the tubular member. In such case, the bumper cylinder may be bonded to an end plug, not shown, which is threadably received within the tubular member.

In FIG. 3 suction cup 6 is shown in full line as being in the slightly deformed condition it normally assumes when disposed in suction gripping engagement with article 4. As is well known, when suction cup 6 is so engaged, it will tend to limit movement of article 4 relative to sidewall 2 in the direction indicated by arrow 22 to thephantom line position shown as 4a. Also, in that the suction cup is formed of resiliently deformable material, it will permit the article to slightly tilt or otherwise move towards sidewall 2 as for instance in the direction indicated by arrow 24. Movement of article 4 in the direction indicated by arrow 24'will however be arrested, as indicated in phantom line at 4b in FIG. 3, by engagement thereof with bumper cylinder 10. Thus, it will be apparent that the suction cup and bumper cylinder cooperate to permit limited movement of the article within the container and thereby effect cushioning of the article with respect to outside forces applied to the container. Moreover, bumper cylinder 10 in limiting movement in the direction of arrow 24 prevents excessive deformation of the suction cup which might interfere with its gripping action on the article. As indicated above, adjustment of the suction cup may be made relative to the bumper cylinder in order to control the extent of article movement, and both the suction cup and bumper cylinder may be adjustably positioned relative to the container sidewall on which they are mounted so as to accommodate articles of various sizes.

While as indicated above, it is possible to effectively employ only a single shock absorber device in a container, it normally is preferable to arrange devices 1 in cooperating pairs arranged such that the devices of each pair are in axial alignment and disposed one on each of a pair of opposed container walls.

While in addition to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, several modifications have hereinabove been described, it is believed likely that one skilled in the art may devise still further modifications'of the present invention without departing from the spirit thereof. In this respect, it would be possible to mount the bumper as a collar bounding the suction cup; to substitute for the suction cup device disclosed, other known devices, as for instance of the type having a line extending outwardly of the container wall for the purposes of remotely withdrawing air therefrom; and to mount the suction device and/or bumper for universal movement relative to a container wall, so as to more readily permit tilting movement of a supported article in opposite directions relative to such wall.

I claim:

1. A shock absorbing device for use in removably positioning an article relative to the inner surface of a container wall, said device including in combination:

suction means for removably gripping said article by means of suction;

bumper means; and

means to mount said suction means and bumper means on said wall inwardly of said inner surface, said suction means when mounted and disposed in gripping engagement with said article limiting movement of the latter in a direction away from said inner surface while permitting movement of said article towards said inner surface, and said bumper means when mounted being engageable by said article only when the latter is moved in a direction towards said inner surface, whereby said suction means and bumper means cooperate to define the extent of movement of said article in directions both away from and towards said inner surface.

2. A shock absorbing device according to claim 1, wherein said mounting means includes means for adjustably positioning at least one of said suction means and bumper means with respect to the other of said suction means and bumper means, whereby said extent of article movement may be adjustably varied.

3. A shock absorbing device according to claim 1, wherein said mounting means includes means for simultaneously adjustably positioning said suction means and bumper means relative to said inner surface.

4. A shock absorbing device according to claim 3, wherein said wall is apertured, said mounting means extends outwardly of said wall through said aperture, and said adjustment means is accessible outwardly of said wall.

5. A shock absorbing device according to claim l, wherein said suction means is a resiliently deformable suction cup device, said cup device being resiliently deformed upon movement of said article towards said inner surface said bumper means is formed of a resiliently deformable material, and said mounting means serves to mount said bumper means concentrically inwardly of said suction cup.

6. A shock absorbing device according to claim 1, wherein said bumper means is disposed within said suction means, and said mounting means includes means to adjustable position at least one of said suction means and bumper means with respect to the other of said suction means and bumper means whereby said extent of article movement may be adjustably varied.

7. A shock absorbing device according to claim 6, wherein said suction means is a resiliently deformable suction cup device having an aperture formed in a bottom wall thereof and said bumper means is formed of a resiliently deformable material and arranged to extend inwardly of said suction cup through said bottom wall aperture.

8. A shock absorbing device according to claim 1, wherein said wall is apertured, said mounting means includes a tubular member extending through said wall aperture and means to fix said member to said wall, said suction means is a resiliently deformable suction cup device having a bottom wall portion apertured to receive an end portion of said tubular member extending inwardly of said inner surface, and said bumper means is formed of resiliently deformable material and carried inwardly of said tubular member so as to extend through said end portion thereof inwardly of said suction cup device.

9. A shock absorbing device according to claim 8, wherein said means fixing said member to said wall is adjustable, whereby the distance between said end portion and said inner surface may be varied, and said mounting means includes means to adjustably position at least one of said suction cup device and bumper means relative to the other of said suction cup device and bumper means in a direction axially of said member, whereby said extent of article movement may be varied. 

1. A shock absorbing device for use in removably positioning an article relative to the inner surface of a container wall, said device including in combination: suction means for removably gripping said article by means of suction; bumper means; and means to mount said suction means and bumper means on said wall inwardly of said inner surface, said suction means when mounted and disposed in gripping engagement with said article limiting movement of the latter in a direction away from said inner surface while permitting movement of said article towards said inner surface, and said bumper means when mounted being engageable by said article only when the latter is moved in a direction towards said inner surface, whereby said suction means and bumper means cooperate to define the extent of movement of said article in directions both away from and towards said inner surface.
 2. A shock absorbing device according to claim 1, wherein said mounting means includes means for adjustably positioning at least one of said suction means and bumper means with respect to the other of said suction means and bumper means, whereby said extent of article movement may be adjustably varied.
 3. A shock absorbing device according to claim 1, wherein said mounting means includes means for simultaneously adjustably positioning said suction means and bumper means relative to said inner surface.
 4. A shock absorbing device according to claim 3, wherein said wall is apertured, said mounting means extends outwardly of said wall through said aperture, and said adjustment means is accessible outwardly of said wall.
 5. A shock absorbing device according to claim 1, wherein said suction means is a resiliently deformable suction cup device, said cup device being resiliently deformed upon movement of said article towards said inner surface said bumper means is formed of a resiliently deformable material, and said mounting means serves to mount said bumper means concentrically inwardly of said suction cup.
 6. A shock absorbing device according to claim 1, wherein said bumper means is disposed within said suction means, and said mounting means includes means to adjustable position at least one of said suction means and bumper means with respect to the other of said suction means and bumper means whereby said extent of article movement may be adjustably varied.
 7. A shock absorbing device according to claim 6, wherein said suction means is a resiliently deformable suction cup device having an aperture formed in a bottom wall thereof and said bumper means is formed of a resiliently deformable material and arranged to extend inwardly of said suction cup through said bottom wall aperture.
 8. A shock absorbing device according to claim 1, wherein said wall is apertured, said mounting means includes a tubular member extending through said wall aperture and means to fix said member to said wall, said suction means is a resiliently deformable suction cup device having a bottom wall portion apertured to receive an end portion of said tubular member extending inwardly of said inner surface, and said bumper means is formed of resiliently deformable material and carried inwardly of said tubular member so as to extend through said end portion thereof inwardly of said suction cup device.
 9. A shock absorbing device according to claim 8, wherein said means fixing said member to said wall is adjustable, whereby the distaNce between said end portion and said inner surface may be varied, and said mounting means includes means to adjustably position at least one of said suction cup device and bumper means relative to the other of said suction cup device and bumper means in a direction axially of said member, whereby said extent of article movement may be varied. 